One of My New Favorite Things...

I have had this little sewing table for a while and, now that I have my wild hair for spray painting, I decided to finnally redo it. I love to sew, but this table doesn't fit either of my machines. I love the repeating squares on the front and it is just the right hieght for storage. It had a lot of wear on the top so I first had to sand it. This is my little boy helping.

I ended up taking the whole thing apart because I wanted to redo the hard wear. I was going to paint it all black, but then I thought I should try chrome paint.


It was a bit too shiny, so I wiped some of the paint off the front of the harware. It helped some, but once it dried I used some fine sand paper to take some more off and let the natural shine come through.


Here it is after three bottles of spray paint, and some sealer. I put it all back together and am very pleased with the result.


My husband loves blankets, so now we have some storage to keep them in the living room. The suitcases were another great thrift store find for $2.50 each. They also have blankets in them. I know, I know, but it gets cold in a dreary basement apartment, and I have no windows to help me keep warm. We use blankets to make up for it!

There's the sweet little birdie taking the spotlight again! I decided the pretty new table was perfect for the pretty little birdie.

I am really happy with the way the hardware turned out. I was worried that the chrome would look way too fake, but with a little sanding they match perfectly. Now I don't think the hinges would work too well with chrome paint. I guess the originals will have to do for now.

Four Dollars

Can I just say four dollars! Four dollars to a great keepsake. Four dollars to decorating. Four dollars to fun storage and displaying. Four dollars spent the thrift store! Isn't it fun and out of the box. I have been wanting a fun birdcage, but when I found this I saw potential. I'm sure you can guess what it is meant to be used for, but I think it works better used as this:

This little birdie I found at Freddy's (Fred Meyer), and I couldn't just pass him up. He is so sweet and endearing. He was also four dollars, but he was worth every penny!

I love the ornamental details this piece has. It was originally off white with brown smudges all over it, but I thought why not give it a face lift with classic black. Since then it has stolen the spotlight of the kitchen.

Easter Find!

I was thrift store shopping the other day and I found this sweet little bunny for .75 cents.

I knew that I could make her look like these with just a few coats of paint.

Pottery Barn

Watch the transition!

Isn't she fun! I think it was a fantastic face lift! All thanks to 1.99 spray paint, and I only used a fraction of the paint! Hopefully I can find another similar one so she can have a buddy!

Chair Remake

Okay, so I live in an apartment and it came with these chairs. I think they are terrible, and I asked my landlord if I could remake them, he said he didn't care what I did with the furniture, so I bought some fabric, invested in a nail gun, and bought black spray paint. Here's the before and after:
I love the french garden toile fabric. My kitchen has spurts of red, black, and cream, so when I was going through my fabric stash, this screamed to me. It makes me dream of simpler times, reading books, Jane Austin, brunch, and picnics.

The main fabric was cut a little short, so with a little extra fabric sewn to the back, it is complete. I actually like this added. It flows nicely with the chair legs.
Not too shabby. Only $10.00 to remake this set of chairs!

Chili Fries

These chili fries are pretty healthy. The fries are oven baked and the chili has lots of fiber and not much fat. The fries take about 30 minutes to cook in the oven, so I cook the chili while the fries are cooking.




Oven Baked Fries
5 small potatoes
3 Tbs Olive Oil
Seasoning Salt



First cut potatoes and lay them on a cookie sheet.

Next add some Olive Oil and seasonings.

Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes and then stir. Return to the oven and bake until fries are tender, about 15 minutes.


Quick Chili
1/3 lb ground burger (beef, turkey, whatever you like)
1 12 oz can "chili ready" tomatoes
1 12 oz can pinto beans
2/3 cup tomato sauce
Taco seasoning


Brown the hamburger.

Drain fat and add 1/2 an onion.




Cook until onions are tender.
Add drained pinto beans and chili ready tomatoes.



Add some tomato sauce and stir in taco seasonings to taste. Bring to boil and then pour over oven fries. Top with cheese, sour cream and your favorite salsa.

Yum Yum!

Caramel Corn

Candy Cane Caramel Corn

Candy Carmel Corn
5 qt air popped popcorn
1 cup butter
1/2 cup Karo syrup
2 cups sugar
1 Tbs molasses
3/4 tsp salt
Bring to a boil and let boil without stirring for three minutes.
Add 1 tsp soda and stir together until foamy. Pour over popped popcorn and bake at 200 F for 1 hour stirring twice while baking. After cool add melted chocolate and crushed candy bits. Store in airtight container.

Heath Chocolate Caramel Corn

chicken salad wrap

I got this idea from a friend. They used grapes, but apples are also great. This is a quick and easy lunch or snack. I first cook some chicken in olive oil. Meanwhile cut some apples or grapes and place in a bowl. Add a little mayo and salt and pepper to taste. Put in a wrap, pita or make a sandwich. Enjoy!